Microsoft and its partners have responded to a malware operation known as the SolarWinds attack, including the so-called with sinkhole tactics.
FireEye recently unveiled an extensive offensive operation in which attackers suspected of being state-run attacked a Trojan dubbed Sunburst (FireEye) and Solorigate (Microsoft) into the popular SolarWinds Orion enterprise software. Behind Sunburst is believed to be a group of hackers known as the APT 29 and Cozy Bear, suspected of being linked to the Russian intelligence service. The attack itself began as early as last spring, although it has only just survived.
Now Microsoft has outlined what it will do to counter the attack. The company said it manually removed the digital certificates used by the Trojan-infected files as soon as the attack came to light. In practice, this means that no Windows configuration agrees to run these files because it sees them as untrusted.
In addition, Microsoft updated Windows Defender to detect and alert users of a used Trojan. On Wednesday, however, the company decided to change the standard functionality of Windows Defender for Solorigate from mere warning to automatic quarantine. Automatically quarantining infected files is effective, but at the same time it can also cause a system crash, for example.
In addition, Microsoft and its partners have isolated the so-called avsvmcloud.com site used by the attackers. with sinkhole tactics. Sinkhole refers to the way in which a server is isolated by means of DNS servers from the rest of the Internet to direct traffic destined for them elsewhere. As a result, the malware loses the ability to communicate with its host server and is left without instructions
The Starlink satellite internet of the US company SpaceX owned by Elon Musk has received the first frequencies for use by the Federal Network Agency. It is the first frequency assignment in this country for a mega constellation of satellites that are supposed to bring Internet access in poorly covered regions. SpaceX has now launched hundreds of satellites for the project, and the first customers in the USA can already test the offer. The frequency assignment in Germany is initially limited to one year so that adjustments can be made afterwards.
Tens of thousands of satellites planned SpaceX had started building Starlink at the end of 2019 and wants to use the satellites to join remote regions of the world provide affordable internet access. Starlink is supposed to simulate a complete network structure in space. Customers need a small antenna that connects to the satellites, SpaceX supplies a WiFi router. All in all, the company has already launched almost 1000 satellites into space, initially several thousand and later even several tens of thousands. Other companies want to follow suit and set up their own networks, such as Amazon with the Kuiper project.
The Federal Network Agency now assures that the frequency allocation contains regulations, “that the coexistence and ensure trouble-free operation with other applications in the same and adjacent frequency range “. It is about directional radio, radio astronomy and geostationary satellite applications. Starlink has also received frequency assignments for several earth stations that are to serve as gateways. Overall, this step created the legal frequency requirements so that broadband internet can be offered via satellite in Germany, “says network agency boss Jochen Homann. Further details on frequency allocation in Germany are to be published in the official gazette of the Federal Network Agency.
Beta test and criticism After it was unclear for a long time how much money SpaceX would charge for Internet access, the beta test shows in the USA in a first direction: In the “better-than-nothing-beta”, customers are offered speeds between 50 and 150 Mbit / s promised, as well as latencies of 20 to 40 ms. Also there will be short periods of time without any connection. Whoever wants to participate should pay monthly 99 US dollars (85 Euro) and for the equipment once 499 US Dol lar (about 425 Euro). Most recently, SpaceX had secured funding of almost one billion US dollars from the US telecommunications regulator FCC, but there is criticism of the approval process, which did not focus on remote areas.
Criticism of Starlink as a whole has been around for a long time from science: Astronomers have been pointing out for months that the immense number of satellites is having a growing influence on their work and determines Could make research areas much more difficult. In the meantime there is a dialogue that is supposed to help counteract the most massive consequences. SpaceX has already begun redesigning the satellites to make them less visible in the night sky. Even so, the constellations cannot be completely hidden and radio astronomers had recently reported concerns.
A welcome refresh has done Linn’s entry-level streaming system wonders, even if it isn’t the most entertaining of its kind we’ve heard
For
Clean, organised sound
Comprehensive connectivity
Easy to use app
Against
Lacks verve
Build not premium
At the risk of sounding like a hair-ruffling aunt greeting her nephew after a lengthy absence, oh boy, hasn’t streaming grown? That thought comes to mind as we scan the all-inclusive specs of the new Linn Majik DSM.
Ten years ago, we called the original Majik DSM “an interesting proposition”, owing to its then-rare combination of pre and power amplification and music streamer. Fast forward to today and while the Majik has become Linn’s best-selling streaming product of the past decade, the world of music streaming has grown somewhat since.
Audio hardware has followed suit and just-add-speakers streaming systems are now familiar propositions. When executed effectively, they tick the boxes of convenience and connectivity while still offering a great sound. Linn was there at the start, one of few streaming-savvy hi-fi brands around when Spotify was in its infancy, but the competition has now opened up. So how does its entry-level streamer system stack up at the more affordable end of the high-end market?
Features
(Image credit: Linn)
Like its predecessor, the new Linn Majik DSM has been designed to be the nucleus of an AV and hi-fi system – a one-box solution to which a pair of stereo speakers can be connected. It welcomes all manner of sources, with built-in wi-fi and an ethernet socket the gateways to music (up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM) stored on a network and from streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music.
Linn Majik DSM tech specs
(Image credit: Linn)
Hi-res Up to 24-bit/192 kHz
Max power 100W x2 (4 ohms)
Inputs HDMI, optical, coaxial, USB type B, line-level / MM phono
Outputs HDMI ARC, RCA, 6.3mm headphone jack
Finishes x1
Dimensions (hwd) 10 x 35 x 35cm
Weight 4.1kg
There’s internet radio via TuneIn, too, while Bluetooth and AirPlay are quick and easy streaming alternatives for Bluetooth-supporting and Apple devices respectively.
Physical sources from CD players and turntables to TVs and laptops are catered for, courtesy of eight inputs – four 4K-compatible HDMIs and one USB Type B, optical, coaxial (which can be configured as an output) and line-level stereo RCAs.
That single analogue input can be configured as a moving-magnet phono input for anyone wishing to connect a turntable with an MM cartridge. Those going down this route can feel safe in the knowledge that the built-in phono stage uses architecture derived from the company’s reference Urika II model.
The Urika II isn’t the only Linn product to have had its engineering sprinkled over the Majik DSM, either. In addition to Linn enhancing its 100W-per-channel Class D amplification, and implementing a digital volume control in a further effort to reduce distortion, the Majik DSM’s DAC design has been trickled down from the flagship Katalyst streamer. This promises improved upsampling, a lower noise reference voltage and an ultra-low jitter clock for greater timing accuracy.
Build
(Image credit: Linn)
The Majik DSM’s aesthetic predictably echoes that of the recently refreshed Selekt DSM, with its stylish, glossy black facade, a monochromatic OLED display and six handy preset buttons that offer neat shortcuts to content you can select in the Linn control app (Linn App for iOS; Linn Kazoo for Android).
However, the Majik DSM forgoes the Selekt DSM’s top-panel multi-control dial and nicely contoured underside edges, signifying its pecking order below the Selekt in the Linn streaming system range. But while this is entry-level territory for Linn, the Majik DSM’s aluminium casework doesn’t feel quite as premium as we might have expected at this price. It’s far from shoddy, though, and we’re generally fond of its classy minimalist appearance.
Unlike the Selekt DSM, the Majik doesn’t have Linn’s advanced Katalyst DAC upgrade or the option for surround speaker terminals. But what it does have is plentiful – as well as the above, that also includes control via the new ‘Linn App’ for iOS users and Linn’s Space Optimisation software.
The former now has a tweaked interface that offers quicker, easier access to browse, search, room selection and system settings, but the headline feature over the former Kazoo iOS app is its universal search, which brings up results across streaming services you’re logged onto and stored music on your network.
Search for ‘Michael Jackson’, for example, and all MJ tracks and albums on our NAS drive and in the Tidal library appear before us. Though initially perturbed by this function having replaced the in-app Tidal search bar, we soon find ourselves on board with this more encompassing method of navigation.
(Image credit: Linn)
While Android users will get the Linn App shortly, for now, it’s still the inferior, but functional, Kazoo app. Alternative control is offered through the Majik DSM’s support for Roon, for subscribers of the increasingly popular playback software. There is also a physical remote control, which remains the simplest go-to for volume adjustment.
Linn’s Space Optimisation software (‘space’ stands for ‘Speaker Placement And Custom Environment’) ensures the optimum performance of the Majik DSM and its partnering speakers in your listening environment. It builds a full acoustic picture of your room – based on the placement of connected speakers and the properties of the room – identifies the frequencies being distorted and adjusts frequency response accordingly.
This configuration is typically performed by a Linn specialist, however, the software, which is accessible through Linn’s website, is comprehensive and relatively straightforward to use. The software maps our test room’s dimensions, including wall contours and special features such as doors, and we select the pre-installed profile for our partnering speakers, the ATC SCM50 – Linn says Space Optimisation has profiles for ‘hundreds’ of speakers. Once our profile has been saved, we can simply turn the Majik DSM’s Space Optimisation on or off from the website.
We activate Space Optimisation and note that it draws out some of the bass richness, making way for a cleaner, slightly leaner balance. The presentation has clear gains in articulacy, though it loses some musicality and cohesion in the process and we end up preferring it deactivated. For troublesome rooms, however, Space Optimisation could prove handy in cleaning up unwanted frequencies.
Sound
(Image credit: Linn)
With or without the neat software, the Linn Majik DSM performs much as we’d expect – that isn’t a criticism, just that Linn is so pleasingly consistent. Like many Linn products before it, it has an open and expansive soundstage filled with crisp, precise detail, and is wonderfully eloquent across the frequency spectrum.
Our listening begins with a newly released live recording of John Williams’ Theme From Jurassic Park and the Linn rises to the occasion, with its wide-open sound only enhancing the sonic spectacle. The horns have headroom to soar, the woodwinds acres of room to weave softly beneath and the surging strings come to the fore with presence and precision, carrying the detail and dynamics necessary to evoke the necessary sentiment in its listener.
Radical Face’s Sunlight proves a great indication of the Majik DSM’s analytical, articulate approach too. The Majik DSM handles the acoustic plucking shrewdly, each twanged note tangible and dynamically varied. Even when the tunefully delivered descending bass line, crisply-drawn drumbeat and the subdued piano melody crash the initial party, the Linn keeps tabs on every element, steering everything into the right direction like a conductor controlling an orchestra.
The denser the composition gets, as Ben Cooper‘s storytelling and the bed of strings enter the mix, the more impressed we are by its refusal to sound flustered. We’ve come to expect this kind of precision from Linn products and the Majik DSM doesn’t stray far from that.
10 of the best songs to test your speakers
The Linn’s openness and organisation plays into the hands of Oneohtrix Point Never’s Toys 2, the experimental orchestration having space to unfold while never sounding too condensed or incoherent. Each squeak, fizz and scratch comes through with cleanliness and clarity, and an openness that the more affordable What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Naim Uniti Atom cannot match.
However, the interplay between the synths underpinning the track isn’t as tight through the Linn, as its Naim rival stitches the sequences together with more rhythmic purpose. The Naim, while not as technically adroit as the Linn in some areas, comes across as the more entertaining machine.
Similarly, as we move onto Gang of Youth’s What Can I Do If the Fire Goes Out?, the Linn doesn’t quite relay the excitement of this relentless foot-tapper of a track. The Naim is more energetic, pummelling through the cyclical drumbeat and piercingly shrill synths, whereas the Majik DSM’s rendition is comparatively reserved. It doesn’t exactly rob the track of all energy and drive, it simply comes across as more concerned with dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s than simply writing the letters in big, bold, colourful text, as the track demands.
Verdict
The Linn Majik DSM is not as versatile and all-encompassing in the sound department as it is for its features and that ultimately costs it a fifth star. However, it is still a highly desirable machine – especially for the music fan whose sonic preference errs more on the side of analytical than animated. It can accommodate a wide range of sources, is easy to use and sounds good.
Music streaming has come a long way over the past few years, and Linn’s just-add-speakers system shows just how high-quality, convenient and flexible such propositions can be.
After the breakdowns in digital learning platforms for distance learning in schools, the teachers’ association has criticized the fact that every country has its own system. “To this day I still don’t understand why every country has to reinvent the wheel here. That would actually have required a joint effort,” said association president Heinz-Peter Meidinger on Friday the ZDF morning magazine.
Hardly any federal state currently has a really functioning learning platform. “Unfortunately, little has been done in the last six months to ensure that these learning platforms are upgraded accordingly, and that is now paying off.” Politicians have not recognized how important the digitization of schools is. She looked more at the economy than at the schools and ignored the fact that a phase of distance learning could come again. At 60 percent of schools there is still no fast internet, complained Meidinger.
Future prospects for children He still sees gaps in the students’ knowledge due to the first lockdown. “That is why we demand from all school ministries that a master plan is now developed on how to actually secure the level of education in the long term.” It is about the future prospects of children and young people.
In several countries there had been failures in the platforms since the beginning of the new lockdown. This concerned, for example, the Bavarian Mebis system and the Berlin learning space. The Saxon learning platform Lernsax also suffered disruptions and a hacker attack.
Network storage: four NAS empty housings for self-assembly in the test Practical aspects Connections Performance Individual meetings Conclusion Test table Article in c’t 1 / 2021 read The data storage in the LAN is not only useful for centrally stored files and PC backups: it can also act as a media server for music and videos Deliver to the smart TV. If you want to break away from Google, the NAS with software extensions (apps from the manufacturer’s repositories) can also be used as a cloud server for contacts, appointments and notes that can be accessed from the Internet. The central backup of photos and videos from family smartphones via app is no longer a bonus.
You will find an overview of the functions of common NAS operating systems in another article. This is about the hardware equipment and performance of inexpensive NAS empty housings with two storage spaces for self-installation of hard drives or SSDs. We brought four of them into the laboratory: Netgear ReadyNAS 212, QNAP TS – 220, Synology DS 220 j and Western Digital (WD) My Cloud EX2 Ultra. The TerraMaster F2 – 210 is also in the 150 – Euro price range. An Asustor AS 5202 T for around 300 Euro gives an outlook on the added value that a slightly larger investment will buy.
We equipped each of the empty housings with two NAS hard drives Seagate ST 4000 VN 008 of 4 terabytes each. This is the capacity you get most of the bang for your buck right now. In the RAID-1 configuration (mirroring, protects against hard disk defects), there is also a net capacity of 4 terabytes. The devices also support configurations for twice the memory size, but you should avoid that.
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Standalone update installers for macOS seem to have had their day at Apple: So far, neither the so-called combo nor delta updates are available for download for macOS Big Sur, although the manufacturer is using macOS 11. 0.1 and macOS 10. 1 has already shipped two updates for the latest version of the operating system .
Delta and Combo Updates Previously Apple – up to macOS Catalina – each with a small update available as a single download with which Macs can be updated from one macOS version to the next higher – the “Delta Update”. There is also up to macOS 10. 15. 7 a “combo update” as a standalone installer that can also be downloaded directly from Apple’s website. The combo update makes it possible to bring every previous point update of the respective macOS version to the current status, e.g. from macOS 10 . 15. 0 on 10. 15. Jump 7.
Apple has announced the lack of stand-alone updates for Big Sur not yet expressed. If you still want combo and / or delta updates, you should definitely give feedback to the company, writes developer Howard Oakley – otherwise it is “most likely” that these will no longer be available.
The change may be related to the system drive signed by Apple in Big Sur and a changed update routine in which patches are already installed in the background and the user only has to restart afterwards – this should make the update much faster.
Combo update can eliminate problems End users can use the software update integrated in the operating system or an older version keep up to date with the update function of the Mac App Store. It is also still possible to load a complete installer for macOS 10. 1 from the App Store and use it to create a boot stick, for example. However, the download of the complete operating system installer with around 13 GB is significantly larger than the previous combo updates.
Combo updates serve Mac users as a practical and convenient troubleshooting tool: If problems arise after updating macOS, these could in some cases be solved simply by installing the combo update. The standalone updates are also useful for updating several Macs, especially with slow or unreliable Internet connections.
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The companies will set up a joint in vivo Zeiss Imaging Lab development center, in addition to which the Zeiss name will be displayed on Vivo’s smartphone cameras in the future.
The Chinese smartphone manufacturer in vivo, like OnePlussa, Realme and Oppo, is part of the BBK Electronics team. Although the companies have the same parent company, they also compete with each other and each seeks their own way to stand out from the crowd.
Now in vivo, it has announced a long-term cooperation agreement with Zeiss, which specializes in optics. The aim of the collaboration is to produce better camera solutions for smartphones, and the first cameras developed in collaboration with Zeiss will be seen in Vivo’s future X 60 series phones.
The collaboration will not only be in the development of turnkey camera solutions, but the companies will also establish a joint in vivo Zeiss Imaging Lab research and development program. The development program aims to innovate camera solutions, especially for Vivo’s future flagship models. Camera solutions have long been close to Vivo’s heart, having set up several photography centers around the world with more than 700 engineers.
Update:
The first information about upcoming X 60 cameras has also leaked to the Internet. According to leaks reported by GSMArena, the X 60 and X 60 Pro models will have a Zeiss Vario-Tessar – branded camera solutions. Both phones are reported to have a 48 megapixel main sensor, 13 megapixel ultra wide angle camera, and 13 megapixel portrait camera. The Pro also features an 8-megapixel periscope camera that offers a 5x optical zoom and 60 digital zoom at its best.
Google plans to shut down Android Things, a stripped-down version of Android designed for smart home devices. The OS never really got off the ground, so this isn’t all that much of a loss, but it is yet another entry in Google’s expansive graveyard of shut-down projects.
The smart home project got its start in 2015 under the name Brillo, which was meant to provide the “underlying operating system for the internet of things.” In 2016, Google revamped Brillo and relaunched the initiative as Android Things, which was likewise meant to run on products like connected speakers, security cameras, and routers. By relying on Android, the OS was supposed to be familiar to developers and easy to get started with.
Then nothing happened. In 2018, some initial smart speakers and smart displays came out using the underlying OS. It seems no other companies were interested, because in February 2019, Google announced it was “refocusing” Android Things to cater specifically to smart speakers and smart displays.
Nearly two years later, and Android Things is now on track to be shut down. The Android Things Console, which lets developers push updates to their devices, will stop accepting new non-commercial projects starting January 5th, 2021. A year later, on January 5th, 2022, “the console will be turned down completely and all project data will be permanently deleted.” That essentially means developers have a year to wind down any Android Things projects they already have set up.
It’s an inglorious ending for a project that, over five years, barely made a dent in the landscape, particularly as smart home devices began to boom in popularity.
In case you’re interested, here’s the story of Android Things, told across all four headlines it made on The Verge:
With subscription-service doorbells and “smart fridges” with built-in tablets, the internet of things is connecting more and more devices to Wi-Fi, which of course opens them up to new security risks. Maybe you didn’t need to worry about burglars breaking into your phone by hacking the front door in the ‘90s, but it’s a legitimate concern now. But with all these new Wi-Fi hacking opportunities, it’s also tempting to assume that not having a Wi-Fi chip or card means you’re safe. Unfortunately, according to researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, that might not be the case.
In his research paper
AIR-FI: Generating Covert Wi-Fi Signals from Air-Gapped Computers
, Ben-Gurion head of R&D Mordechai Guri details a malware program he’s developed to turn a computer’s RAM into a type of 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi card, forcing it to send out a signal that hackers can then intercept.
The idea is that anyone with physical access to an air-gapped system, meaning a system that’s isolated on a local network and doesn’t have a Wi-Fi chip or any other external internet access, could install the malware on the system and cause it to broadcast secret information without the user’s knowledge. Air-gapped systems are a favorite of governments, militaries and even corporations to store sensitive data, meaning that the danger here is more in high-level espionage than in someone swiping your credit card info at Starbucks.
According to Guri’s paper, AIR-FI exploits the electromagnetic waves generated by all electronic components to generate radio waves that fall in the 2.4 GHz frequency range used by most normal Wi-Fi cards. This lets systems with the malware installed broadcast data at speeds of up to 100 bits per second up to several meters away.
The process also doesn’t require admin privileges to begin.
“[AIR-FI] can be initiated from an ordinary user-space process,” Guri explains. He also says that while most modern RAM cards can emit 2.4 GHz signals from the get-go, hackers can also overclock older cards to make them AIR-FI compatible as well.
To a degree, this is largely a stunt hack, as it doesn’t apply to standard users and the range is small enough that the hacker might as well just steal the data physically. Also, AIR-FI needs to be installed physically before it can work.
But it’s a great indicator that cyber-security is never as easy as just installing a firewall. Even if you’re technically not supposed to be connected to the internet, you can still be hacked. Which is why it’s always a good idea to control who has access to your systems. And if you’re a government or military engineer, why it might also be a good idea to start investing in some signal jamming equipment.
Whether or not manufacturers will use this to start officially mixing Wi-Fi into their RAM cards, we can’t say. But probably not.
On Wednesday the EU Commission presented a new cybersecurity strategy together with the EU foreign affairs officer Josep Borrell. The commission takes the cyber war scenario seriously and is already working with the member states on “building operational capacities for prevention, deterrence and reaction” against major hacker attacks, it said. A “common cyber unit” is being prepared.
Preparing for malicious attacks This cyber unit is intended to strengthen the IT skills of “defense circles in the field of cybersecurity” and law enforcement agencies in cooperation with “civil and diplomatic communities”. Borrell also wants to submit proposals for an “EU toolbox for cyber diplomacy” in order to prevent malicious attacks, especially on the critical infrastructure, supply chains and democratic institutions and processes.
The EU also wants to work to improve cooperation in the field of cyber defense and to develop state-of-the-art skills in this area. According to the strategy, it will build on the work of the European Defense Agency and call on the Member States to make full use of military cooperation and the EU Defense Fund. The EU has recently had its own sanctions regime against IT attacks, which was recently used because of the hacker attacks on the Bundestag.
“The time of innocence is over,” declared the European Lifestyle responsible commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas according to a report of the FAZ at the presentation of the agenda. “We know we are a target”. It is now a matter of “withstanding attacks and responding to them”. Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton therefore emphasized: “We have to arm ourselves for this new war.” He did not want to comment on possible counter-attacks in the form of the hackbacks, which are highly controversial in this country. This is confidential and a matter for the Member States, who are working hard on it.
Hundreds of attacks in Europe According to the Commission, the EU 2019 around 450 attacks on critical infrastructures (Kritis) such as the energy and water supply sectors , Information and communication technologies, health, transport and finance. The federal government recently referred to significantly more cyber attacks on clinics and utilities. Schinas lamented the “first cyber death in Europe” after a hacker attack on the Düsseldorf university clinic. Just last week, cyber criminals had targeted the European Medicines Agency and risked delays in testing vaccines against Covid – 19.
With the package, the Commission also proposes a reform of the Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive. The aim of the planned “measures for a high common level of cybersecurity” is to improve the resilience of critical public and private sectors. The Brussels executive body has its eye on hospitals, energy networks, railways, data centers, public administrations, research laboratories and other Kritis operators.
A “cybersecurity shield” for Europe More areas are to be covered than before, for which higher security requirements also apply. According to the plan, supply chains and relationships between the providers will be recorded for the first time. Reporting obligations are to be simplified and the supervision and enforcement of the necessary activities improved, for example through a uniform sanctions framework.
The Commission is also outlining a network of security intervention centers across the EU using artificial intelligence (AI). The aim is to put a “cybersecurity shield” across the EU with the ability to recognize early signals of impending hacker attacks and to act preventively. In addition, there is to be a new directive on the “Resilience of Critical Facilities”. This is intended to expand the obligations for Kritis operators that have existed since 2008, including the classic areas such as space travel and public administration as a whole. Member States must therefore define national strategies to ensure the resilience of critical institutions and carry out regular risk assessments.
On the basis of a report on the 5G toolbox, the Commission also urged EU countries to step up efforts to reduce “exposure to To minimize high-risk providers and to avoid the dependency “on such suppliers as Huawei. The two draft directives still have to be coordinated with the EU Parliament and the Council of Ministers. It is already certain that the planned IT Security Act 2.0 will not last long and that Germany will soon have to readjust it again. The eco-Verband der Internetwirtschaft therefore demands that the work on “NIS 2.0” be awaited immediately.
The EU Commission’s competition watchdogs have approved the planned takeover of the fitness watch specialist Fitbit by the online giant Google. However, the approval of the merger is subject to the condition that Google complies with voluntary commitments to avoid distortions of competition, as the Brussels authority announced on Thursday. The company is not allowed to use data generated via Fitbit devices to optimize its advertising business and must give users the option to prohibit the use of data for services such as Google Maps and YouTube.
Warning from data protectionists The competition watchdogs had intensively investigated in recent months whether the takeover would have a negative impact on the markets for online Advertising might have. “If Google continues to expand its data advantage in personalizing advertisements that it places via its search engine and displays on other Internet sites, it would be more difficult for competitors to keep up with Google’s online advertising services,” said the EU Commission. This would create barriers to market entry and obstacles to expansion for competitors – which would ultimately come at the expense of advertisers and website operators, who would have to pay higher prices and have less choice. The now prescribed obligations would ensure free competition, it is now said.
At the beginning of November last year, Google had plans to take over Fitbit for a good two billion Dollar announced. It said that data from the fitness specialist should not be used for personalized advertising. At the beginning of the year, however, European data protectionists warned that a further accumulation of user information in the hands of a large tech company would pose a risk to the protection of privacy. Other opponents voiced their opinions in the summer.
Fitbit was a pioneer in the business of fitness bracelets that count steps and calories burned. However, this business has meanwhile been rolled out from two directions: Apple is very successful with its Apple Watch computer clock, which also has various fitness functions – and cheap devices from China, especially from Xiaomi, dominate in simple bracelets.
The year 2020 was definitely the year of the Internet, and the popularity of online communication necessarily definitely increased. In November this year, a record 2 million users used the ClickMeeting webinar platform in Poland. And what does it look like in other European countries? In France, the number of participants in webinars taking place on the ClickMeeting platform in November compared to March this year. increased by 200 percent, in Germany by over 40 proc., in Italy by 14 percent, in Great Britain by 10 percent, and in Spain by 6 percent. The coming year 2021 will become the year of even more advanced connectivity of the online and offline world through remote learning, work and hybrid events.
In November this year, 2 million users in Poland used the ClickMeeting webinar platform. This is an undeniable record in the history of the brand. How is it in other European countries? Details below.
Tax on smartphones nearer and nearer. The bill resulting in an increase in the prices of electronics may go to the parliament in December
A revolution in education
The biggest revolution 2020 is the introduction of distance learning in schools and universities. Back in January, the slogans “remote learning” and “online learning” reached the level of 15 million internet users. In March, this number increased by 1184 percent, which means that the interest in the subject of e-learning online at that time was the highest in during the year. And so, just before the summer holidays, this number fell by half. In November, as schools closed again, interest in the topic returned to its March levels. In a study by ClickMeeting, in the short term return to full-time education, as much as 86 percent. of respondents said that schools are not ready to move back to distance learning.
Huawei and ZTE will completely disappear from the United States. There is a resolution of the US Federal Communications Commission
Concurrently for 44 proc. of respondents, the hybrid learning model, combining offline and online, would work best in the current situation. “Conducting lectures and workshops over the Internet allows you to reach a much larger audience than a meeting in a traditional form” – says Dominika Paciorkowska, Managing Director at ClickMeeting – “Therefore, universities and training companies began to appreciate the opportunities offered by online classes long before the pandemic Even after the pandemic is over, the tendency to organize such events, if not exclusively via the Internet, then at least in a hybrid form, will probably continue. “
SPC Gear GD 100 – Compact, stable and reasonably priced gaming desk with cable management system
E-event industry
The organizers of events, festivals and conferences faced almost as big a challenge as schools, which so far were held stationary and gathered even several dozen or several hundred thousand people. To survive, they had to quickly adapt to new, very difficult and unusual conditions. Webinar platforms responded to their needs by introducing new functions, including increasing the number of participants that could participate in the event. In March, the number of Internet searches for the terms “online events” and “online events” increased by more than 350 percent. compared to January.
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After easing the restrictions, the interest in this topic began to decline – in May the number of searches was higher by 220 proc. and in November at 150 percent. compared to January. “We are now able to organize events for over 5,000 people, we plan to further increase this number in the near future. We also plan to gradually add features that allow participants to become more interactive at mass events. Here, as in the case of educational events, I expect that in In the future, a hybrid mode of organizing events will become popular, in which some participants will be present on site and others will take part in the event via the Internet “- says Rajmund Dziemaszkiewicz, Product Director at ClickMeeting.
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Universal work from home
The phrase “online work” was also popular, which in March Internet users searched for over 450 percent. more often than in January 2020. In the following months, the interest in this slogan decreased, returning to the level from the beginning of this year. According to a Clickmeeting survey conducted in September this year 86, percent. of respondents want legal regulation for remote work, and already 64 proc. expects the employer to subsidize the equipment. However, during the social quarantine as much as 88 percent. people started working outside the office. In turn 48 proc. people declare to work from home in full, and 21 . part-time. The respondents say that they like to perform duties from home (74 percent. the solution has more advantages than disadvantages (53 proc.). Platforms for collaborative work, webinars and conferences help in these work models.
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is approaching First of all, privacy
The forced transfer of most communication and activity to the online world has increased the awareness of Internet users, who attach increasing importance to security your data. “We regularly train our employees and constantly monitor the current standards and changes in the law in the field of data security” – comments Dominika Paciorkowska – “To make sure that all our activities are compliant with the GDPR, we conducted an audit of the entire organization, introduced changes in internal policy and verified contracts with our partners and we have renegotiated those that required adjustment to the new regulations. When designing each new solution, our specialists take into account the protection of ClickMeeting users’ data. “
A security update closes several dangerous security holes in protection software from Trend Micro.
(Image: Tatiana Popova / Shutterstock.com)
Trend Micros web gateway InterScan Web Security Virtual Appliance (IWSVA) is intended to stop threats from the Internet at the source in company networks before they reach employees’ computers. However, due to seven security gaps, attackers could nestle on PCs.
According to a security warning, five of the vulnerabilities are classified as ” high “. This only affects IWSVA version 6.5 SP2. If attacks are successful, attackers could access the admin panel or even execute malicious code with root rights.
To secure systems, admins should use the repaired Version 6.5 SP2 CP b 1919 to install. In addition, Trend Micro advises that the IWSVA management console should be secured with access controls so that access is only possible for authorized users.
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